Follow me as I join "an extraordinary group of Americans who have sought the challenges that are unique to Peace Corps service: the opportunity to live in a different culture, to learn a new language, and to forge lasting relationships with the people of Peru and fellow Volunteers" (taken from the Peace Corps Volunteer Handbook)

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Hauling adobe.

Roger's got a dream: build two more rooms onto the main house; one for the gringo, and one to be used as a chicken pen. So to accomplish this goal, Roger uses his spare time to haul adobe (mixing mud and setting them into forms) and then setting the bricks in the driveway to dry. (In one day he hauled 300 bricks, pretty impressive as each brick probably weighs around 60 pounds). Then after the bricks have dried, he stacks them under a shed so the fast approaching rainy season does ruin them. However, since his time is limited he often has to stack the bricks after his normal jobs, in the dark.

While I like the room where I'm at, who am I to stand in the way of a man's dream? So to help pull my own weight, I spent one afternoon stacking the bricks for him while he has work. Heck, it's the least I can do if I get a room in their house, right?

Adobe being dried in our driveway.

Getting my workout for the day.

This adobe brick was vandalized by Negra our family dog during the drying phase.

An interesting side note might be that the chicken in the background of photos 1 and 3 was on his last legs... he was dying, and just like elephants to the mythical elephant graveyards, my room is apparently the chicken graveyard of Yuracoto. He spent 3 days hanging outside my room trying to get in, and according to my host mom, that means he was looking for his final resting spot.

And finally, as follow-up to this possibly interesting side note. My host mom made arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) two days ago, and I haven't seen any poultry hanging around my room lately. RIP little guy.